The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-05-07
DEATH OF THE COUNTY TREASURER.


Word was received at Ottawa last We'd
nesday by letter that County Treasurer
Hoffman was much improved by his jour
ney to Ackley, Iowa, and hope was cond-
IDENTITY expressed in the letter that lie would
recover; but shortly after noon of the same
day came the news that he had died at
II 30 a. m, at the residence of his brother
in.law, Mr.. John Carton. His Oldest son,
Ray, went to him about week ago, and
was with him at the time of his death, the
only member of his own immediate family
with him. He was taken sick during the
canvass of last fall. Though once he
seemed to have recovered, he was again
stricken down and confined to his bed un-
til few weeks ago when he again seemed
to be on the way TO recovery, and vent 10
Iowa to hasten that consumation.
Asa NJ. Hoffman was born in Peru, La
Sale county, October Z, 1888 He was
son of John and Mary Ann Hoffman
They were New York people, and settled
in Peru, this county, in the same year that
Asa NJ. was born. He received his early
education in district school in Peru, and
was employed in the post office there at
the age of thirteen. He remained there
three wears, when his parents moved to
Mendoza township, and young Hoffman
worked on his fathers farm. On the 18th
of October 1864, he was married to Fran
ces Raymond, daughter of s. w. Ray
mond. In 1871 he was appointed Deputy
Treasurer of La Sale county, and held
that position up to the time OF Mr. Kay
monds retirement, Dec. LIST, 1886, when
he was elected County Treasurer. A wife
and six children survive him.
The remains arrived home at AIS
Thursday evening an! were taken charge
of by the Ottawa Commandery Knights
Templar. The funeral took place yester'
day afternoon at $3.50 from the
residence on Illinois avenue under the
direction of the knights. The Rev. N.
W. Heemans offlciated, and the music was
furnished by the Arion Quartette, COM
posedlof the Messrs F. A. Kendall, W E..
Prichard, 7. D. Harrison and E. Ii, Butter
field There were present some fifteen
visiting Knights from Mendoza. The pail
bearers we're c. ID. Trimble, T. E. Mac
kinlay, W. E. Bowman, Henry Mayo,J j. H.
| Whitman II Hapaman
That Mr. Hoffman was popular as man
and as a public officer, goes without saying.
With an even temper, a kindly disposition
and easy IN anners, he made friends rapid
" and held them; accommodating and
obliging, never out of sorts, treating ev
ery one alike in his official position, the
office of treasurer with 8. w. Raymond
and himself in charge was for fifteen years
model for gentlemanly and businessllke
management in which the people univer
SALLY took each personal pride. Mr.
Hoffman was besides clerk in the treasur
ers Office for Is years, recorder OF all the
Masonic bodies in the city for many years
and for years treasurer of school funds
in all of which capacities he showed
financial ability of high order, coupled
with a scrupulous and exacting accuracy
and never did the finger of suspicion pol nj
toward him even indirectly. In the matters
in controv ersy, SO abiding has been oul
faith in his ability to make clear the appar
ent Irregularities that we have always IN
sisted that he should be heard before being
condemned and now death stalks In Il
claim his own, De mortuis nal ntst bonum
He rests. Let 1t be In peace.